The Precinct Review – That’s Gaming

Police simulation games have become increasingly popular recently anyway. Police Simulator Patrol Officers was fairly well received, especially after updates, and now there is a similar game, but with a top down colorful view, The Precinct. You enter the streets of Averno City, a fictional 1980s American city. Neon signs abound and so does crime. You are Nick Cordell and your father has just been murdered and was a high-ranking cop. While you are busy performing daily police duties you will also be looking for your father’s killers. What we thought about it? Read it below!

The game’s setting will immediately feel familiar to fans of old GTA games, thanks to its familiar top-down perspective and chaotic freedom. Although you are now on the side of the law, thankfully the gameplay is almost as entertaining. Patrols consist of a variety of activities, from simple fines to chases and shootouts. The constant switching between these tasks keeps the experience fun, at least for most of the roughly 10-hour story.

What makes The Precinct particularly strong is the ever-changing crime system. No patrol is the same, and spontaneous events make each shift unpredictable. You will have to chase criminals in your car, and these chases are particularly well done, with an arcade style of driving, yet with just the right heaviness in the cars, so it doesn’t feel like you can do anything at all in a chase. In the process, the game delivers an excellent soundtrack, fitting the 1980s setting.

Still, The Precinct also has its drawbacks. The story takes place largely through static puppets and somewhat cliché characters, making the story, in my opinion, barely impressive. Additionally, collecting evidence between missions quickly feels repetitive, so, despite a fun patrol, the game still lacks some momentum.

The game also has some imperfections. Shooting feels very unnatural and it is frustrating when you can’t really take cover because the game does not register your input properly. Also, the so-called “bullet sponge” enemies can be annoying, especially since a normal person really can’t receive that many bullets before they really take off. This still makes for a somewhat less realistic experience and really takes away from the realism at times like that.

Furthermore, The Precinct has some minor technical issues, including glitches that, while sometimes comical, still don’t make the game run quite smoothly. Enemies stuck in environments or benches and collisions during chases that don’t necessarily belong are examples of minor irritations that pop up from time to time.

Still, The Precinct is not a bad game because of these flaws. In fact, it is a fun game to play occasionally. Playing police officer in this world is fun, only the story and shooting is not up to the level of the game. The Precinct sometimes seems to struggle between wanting to be a realistic police simulator and an action game. And you feel that struggle through the game, sometimes taking you out of the game for a moment when that’s exactly what you don’t want.